Post #1252405

2025-11-13 10:38 UTC

@guenther @preya is it? I have definitely installed DRM-Free games from Steam. It's just not consistent or well-advertised. I know they offer account-verification (because I've implemented it in games I've shipped on Steam 👀) but that is entirely optional. They are undoubtedly a monopoly, but we live in an age of such incredible corporate abuse of its customers and consumers that them showing just a little bit of grace feels like a breath of fresh air 😅

Replies (2)

@zuthal@floofy.tech 2025-11-13 14:59

@ben @guenther @preya and it's a monopoly that arose mainly out of being the first to do it well and thus benefiting substantially from network effects, and most of their competitors just having worse UX

Open ##1252406
@tbortels@infosec.exchange 2025-11-17 15:33

@ben @preya @guenther Monopoly implies there are no other significant players in the space, and so the monopoly's actions set the terms. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Epic, Electronic Arts, and about 15 other franchises beg to differ. This is the opposite of monopoly - the first recent competition to Playstation/Xbox/Switch *without* draconian hardware-based copy protection. It's a real alternative in an environment that badly needs alternatives. They're competing on innovation and quality, not copy protection and lock-in, and I hope it sets the trend.

Open ##1252408